Components having curved surfaces may be used in a number of applications for magnetic recording heads. For example, in conventional energy-assisted magnetic recording (EAMR) technology, laser light is used to introduce energy to a small region of the media, heating the region. The increase in temperature causes the region to be less magnetically ordered and facilitates writing to the region. This reduction in magnetic ordering assists the EAMR head in writing to the region using magnetic fields. In order to collimate or redirect the laser light to be provided to the media, lenses and/or mirrors are typically used in EAMR heads. Such components often have convex or concave surfaces. Similarly, the write poles for EAMR or other heads, such as perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) heads may have leading and/or trailing edge bevels. As a result, the portion of the pole tip at the air-bearing surface (ABS) is smaller than part of the write pole distal from the ABS. Such bevels may also have curved surfaces.
Various methods may be employed to fabricate the conventional curved surfaces, such as conventional lenses. For example, lenses may be individually polished and then individually mounted in an EAMR head. Although fabrication using such conventional methods is possible, each lens is typically very small. Thus, individual fabrication of lenses may be time consuming and complex. Consequently, other mechanisms for forming the optical and other components having curved surfaces are desired. Accordingly, what is needed is an improved method for fabricating a curved surface, such as a lens, for a magnetic recording head.